The English Establish 13 Colonies

1. The English Establish 13 Colonies • Early Colonies Have Mixed Success • The First English Colonies • Envious of wealth of Spain • No jobs in England – hoped to come to America to get rich • Early Colonies Fail • Roanoke Island • Founded by Sir Walter Raleigh in 1585 • Forced to leave • Lack of food • Local tribes • Tried again in 1587 • Colony disappeared • No one knows what happened to colonists • “Lost Colony of Roanoke”

2. Financing a Colony • Raleigh lost all his money – paid for Roanoke by himself • Other people didn’t want to risk this • Joint-stock companies – group of people called investors give money to a project with hopes of earning a profit • Share risk • Split the earnings, depending on how much each person invests • Two joint-stock companies were created • Virginia Company of London • Virginia Company of Plymouth • Each granted a charter - written document giving permission to establish a colony • Mercantilism – economic system in which government control of trade to help ensure wealth and security • Colonies used for natural resources • Colonies used as a market to sell goods • Led to enrichment of “mother” country

3. Jamestown is Founded in 1607 • At mouth of Chesapeake Bay, along James River • Named after King James I • First permanent English settlement • Jamestown Struggles to Survive • Diseases carried by water and insects • Looked for gold instead of working • Not prepared for different climate • Within 6 months, over 60% of colonists had died

4. John Smith took control • No work, no food policy • Brought colony to order. • Injured in gunpowder explosion, had to return to England • Colony fell back into disarray • “starving time” – forced to eat rats, snakes, etc. • 1610 – Lord De La Warr arrived with supplies, imposed discipline, “saved” colony • Still did not get along with local Powhatan tribe • Tense, ocassionally violent • Improved when chief’s daughter (Pocahontas) married a colonist (John Rolfe)

5. Tobacco Transforms the Colony • Couldn’t find gold • 1614 – Rolfe sent first shipment of tobacco to England • Became popular – ensured survival of Jamestown • Colonists demanded share of profits (they were all share holders of the Virginia Company of London) • Company responded by allowing them to own land • Worked harder as a result • Tobacco farms spread along James River, then other rivers in region • Allowed for easy transportation of tobacco • New settlers offered a headright – 50 acres of land to anyone who could pay their own way • Indentured Servants – people who could not afford it agreed to work for a person if that person paid for passage to America (usually for 4 to 6 years) • 1619 – first Africans arrived

6. The House of Burgesses is Formed • Settlers upset with lack of self-government • Virginia Company allowed elected reps. to meet once a year • House of Burgesses • First elected assembly in America • Could pass local laws • Could raise taxes

7. Representative Government • Powhatan uprising in 1622 • Threatened by expansion of English colonies • Attacked settlements in March 1622 • ¼ of colonists were killed • King James revoked colonies charter – made it a royal colony • Also dissolved (got rid of) House of Burgesses • Colonists protested • Charles I reinstated assembly in 1629 • Tradition of representative government took root at this time